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Create Chat

Definition

The Create Chat action in Microsoft Teams allows you to automatically create new chats directly from your Zenphi flows. With this action, you can initiate one-on-one chats for direct communication or set up group chats to collaborate with multiple team members at once. By defining the chat type and adding members, you streamline communication workflows, reduce manual setup, and ensure the right participants are instantly connected in Teams.

Key capabilities include:

  • Automating chat creation for one-on-one or group scenarios.
  • Adding members via dropdown selection or email addresses.
  • Instantly generating a Teams chat with a shareable web link for easy access.

Example Use Cases

  1. Onboarding a New Employee Automatically create a one-on-one chat between HR and a new hire as soon as their account is added, making it easy to welcome them and share resources.

  2. Escalating Support Requests Trigger a group chat between a support agent, the requester, and a manager when a high-priority ticket is flagged, ensuring quick collaboration and resolution.

  3. Project Kickoff Discussions Instantly set up a group chat with selected project members when a new project record is created in SharePoint or another system, keeping communication centralized from the start.

  4. Incident Response Collaboration Automatically create a group chat for IT or security teams when an incident is detected, enabling rapid discussion and coordination without delays.

  5. Manager–Employee Check-Ins Schedule recurring one-on-one chats between managers and team members as part of performance reviews or regular check-ins, ensuring communication stays consistent.


Inputs

When configuring the Create Chat action, you’ll need to provide the following fields. Each field plays an important role in defining how the chat is created and who is included.

1. Connection

This field is where you select your authenticated Microsoft Teams connection.

  • The connection ensures Zenphi has secure access to your Microsoft Teams environment.
  • If you haven’t established a connection yet, you’ll need to create one by signing in with your Microsoft Teams credentials.
  • Once connected, Zenphi will use this account to create the chat.

2. Chat Type

Defines the type of chat to create. There are two possible values:

  • OneOnOne – Creates a private chat between you and one other person. Use this when you want a focused, direct conversation.
  • Group – Creates a chat involving multiple participants. This option also allows you to define a chat topic, which helps clarify the purpose of the chat (e.g., Project Alpha Kickoff).

Important Notes:

  • For OneOnOne, you can only add one other participant besides yourself.
  • For Group, you can add two or more members, and optionally provide a descriptive chat topic.

3. Members

Specifies who will be included in the chat.

  • You can either select members from the dropdown (if available) or enter their email addresses manually.
  • When entering emails, separate multiple addresses with commas.
  • Zenphi will validate the emails against your Microsoft Teams directory.

Special Cases:

  • If Chat Type = OneOnOne, you must add exactly one member. Attempting to add more will result in an error.
  • If Chat Type = Group, you must add two or more members. You may also include yourself in the group.

Best Practice: Always use email addresses rather than user IDs for ease of configuration, unless you’re pulling dynamic values from a prior action using the token picker (chain icon).

Putting It Together

This flexibility allows you to create chats dynamically — either with static values (hardcoded emails) or by pulling member emails from earlier steps in your flow (e.g., form submissions, SharePoint lists, or AD queries).


Outputs

When this action successfully creates a chat, it returns key details about that chat. These outputs can be used in subsequent steps of your flow (for example, sending a message to the chat right after creating it).

1. Chat Id

  • The unique identifier of the chat.
  • This is the most important reference point if you plan to use this chat in future actions, such as sending messages or retrieving chat details.
  • You can dynamically pass this ID to other Microsoft Teams actions using the token picker (chain icon).

2. Chat Topic

  • The title or subject of the chat.
  • This field is only populated if the chat type is Group. For OneOnOne chats, this field will return null (empty).
  • Helpful for organizing group conversations around a specific purpose, such as Project Planning or Incident Escalation.

3. Chat Type

  • Indicates the type of chat created. Possible values are:

    • OneOnOne – a private two-person chat.
    • Group – a chat with multiple participants.

  • Useful when creating dynamic workflows where you may need to apply different logic depending on the type of chat that was created.

4. Web URL

  • A direct link to the chat in Microsoft Teams.
  • You can provide this link to participants in notifications or emails, so they can jump straight into the conversation.
  • Especially useful in automation scenarios where you want to notify external stakeholders (e.g., “Your project group chat has been created. Click here to join: [web URL]”).

How to Use Outputs in Your Flow

  • Store the Chat Id to send follow-up messages automatically.
  • Use the Web URL in email notifications, adaptive cards, or approval workflows for quick access.
  • Reference the Chat Topic in reporting or logging actions to provide context.

Best Practices

  1. Choose the Correct Chat Type

    • Use OneOnOne for private conversations between two users only.
    • Use Group when you need a multi-person chat. Remember to add at least two members when selecting the Group option.

  2. Validate Member Selection

    • For OneOnOne chats, select or enter only one member. Adding more than one will cause errors.
    • Always double-check email addresses when manually entering members to avoid invalid or unresolvable users.

  3. Leverage the Token Picker for Dynamic Scenarios

    • Instead of hardcoding members’ email addresses, use the token picker (chain icon) to dynamically add users from earlier steps in your flow.
    • This is especially useful in scenarios like onboarding, where the chat needs to be created with a new hire automatically.

  4. Handle Edge Cases

    • If a chat already exists with the same participants, Microsoft Teams may reuse that chat instead of creating a new one. Plan for this behavior when designing your flow.
    • Be aware that Chat Topic will only return a value for group chats; don’t rely on it for OneOnOne scenarios.

  5. Use Outputs Efficiently

    • Save the Chat Id in a variable if you need to reference it multiple times across the flow.
    • Share the Web URL in automated notifications (emails, Teams messages, or cards) so members can quickly join the chat.

  6. Test Before Scaling

    • Start with a small set of test users before rolling out large-scale chat creation flows.
    • Monitor the results and ensure chats are being created as expected before applying the action to hundreds or thousands of users.

  7. Combine with Follow-Up Actions

    • Enhance the usefulness of this action by pairing it with Post Message in a Chat or a Channel immediately after creation. This ensures the chat starts with a relevant welcome or instruction message.

Updated about 13 hours ago